Romania deploys barges, pontoons to secure Cernavodă cooling water as Danube drops

Romania's CNSU approved emergency measures to maintain water intake for the Cernavodă nuclear power plant as Danube levels are forecast to fall again from September 10. Phase one places ships and barges across 600 meters at the Old Danube–Danube-Black Sea Canal confluence to divert flow; phase two adds a modular pontoon and hydrobarrier closure over ~170 meters. The move signals heightened drought stress on critical energy infrastructure, with plant output at risk if river levels continue declining.